


I [Don't] Have Places to Go

by LannaMisho



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Frisk is a happy bean, Frisk is also a sad bean, Loneliness, Nonbinary!Frisk, Post Game, Survival, Their bean status fluctuates, pacifist run
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-02
Updated: 2019-05-24
Packaged: 2019-10-21 03:46:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,695
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17635409
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LannaMisho/pseuds/LannaMisho
Summary: Toriel asked them what they would do now. Frisk told her they had places to go.They did not.





	1. Chapter 1

It had just begun to snow as Frisk finished lacing up their shoes and grabbed their jacket. 

They should have left earlier, they knew. They had checked the weather on their phone that morning and Toriel had been muttering all day about how it was 'supposed to come down hard'. She was fussing about it right now, pacing to the window to gaze uncertain outside, then back to them as the pulled on the hand-me down coat they'd gotten from Sans (that was the polite way to say it. Another way to say it would 'borrowed with permission and never returned' or more simply 'stolen'). It was too long and fell down past their knees, but it was warm and would be good for the winter. 

"Surely, you could spend just one more night. Here, with me," Toriel insisted one more time, frowning as they tugged on some worn, old gloves from their pocket. Frisk laughed, reaching for their bag which she snatched up, holding tightly to her chest as though she might actually try to fight them if they tried to leave. "It would not bother me in the slightest to have you here one more night, My Child. Your parents would certainly not want you traveling home alone in this weather."

Frisk gave her a patient smile and shook their head. The longer they stayed, the harder it would be to leave. They knew that from experience. She held the bag tighter when they held out their hand for it. 

"Perhaps, we could call Papyrus? He would love to give you a ride home and I'm certain it would be no trouble. He talks for great lengths about how he misses you."

"It's just to the bus stop, Mom," Frisk reminded her, hand still outstretched. Under other circumstances, they would have taken her up on that. They had not gotten to see enough of Papyrus when he came over the day before. Or anyone for that matter. Somehow, there never seemed to be enough time. However, they were pretty sure he would worry if he dropped them off where they were going, or at least tell Sans, who would definitely tell Toriel. "I like the snow."

Reluctantly, she held it back out to them. They took it, waiting patiently for her to actually let go, and pulled it on. It was heavy, packed to the brim with leftovers Toriel had overzealously made when Frisk mentioned they were planning to visit. 

"Just let me... Here-" Toriel reached up to the coat hook and pulled down a hat and scarf. "I have been making some things for you, My Child, but your visit came so suddenly, I have not finished them. Please take these for now." Frisk tried to refuse, but they didn't get the words out before Toriel was wrapping the heavy bundle of fabric around their neck and chin, and placing her far-too-large hat over their head. "It may look a little silly, but they will keep you warm. Please, wear them for me?"

Frisk couldn't help the bubbly feeling in their chest as they tugged on the warm fabric, twisting it in their hands. They bounced on their toes before finally nodding. She grabbed them and pulled them into a tight embrace. They returned it with all their might, burying their face in her soft fur. 

"You will call or text me when you arrive home safely?"

They nodded. "I love you, Mom."

"I love you too, Frisk." She kissed their head softly and when she pulled back there were tears in her eyes. "Remember you are always welcome here."

Frisk nodded again, struggling to get their feet to move to the door. 

"You will be safe?" Another nod, another step. "You have your bus pass?" Another nod, another step. "Remembered everything from your room?" Another nod, they reached the door. "Watch out for ice." Another nod and the door was open. Toriel's shoulders sagged, just a little. Frisk wanted to run back. "Please come back soon..."

There was a long moment of hesitation, before Frisk gave one final affirmation and raced out into the cold, slamming the door closed behind them. 

Snow was coming down lightly on the little monster town at the base of Mt. Ebott. Although it had been rocky at the start, human and monster relations were going well and the monsters were really getting settled into the surface life. Asgore kept them up-to-date on important changes, every once in a while mentioning that the position for Monster Ambassador was still open if they ever changed their mind. They didn't think it would be a good idea. 

Some of the monsters waved at Frisk as they passed, while the children were all too busy running around in the snow all bundled up in new winter gear. It was most of their first time experiencing a natural winter and everyone Frisk had talked to so far was freaking out about it. In the good way. They waved back, snuggling deep into the fluffy purple scarf. They hoped the snow would stay light even as they could practically feel the weather getting colder around them. They reached the bus stop in no time at all, but after a quick look around to see that no one was following them, they walked right past it. 

Mt. Ebott loomed in the distance and they were filled with Determination.

. . . . . 

Mt. Ebott seemed different in the winter. Everything was covered in white and the trees had all lost their leafs long ago. It felt like a completely different place from the mountain Frisk had climbed up so long ago. At first it was nice, a peaceful little trek through the forest. Then the snow started to get worse. It piled up around their feet, making it difficult to move. They wished they had some better boots as the clouds above started to darken with the storm. They put more energy into moving forward.

When the cave came into site, Frisk nearly burst with excitement. They sprinted as best they could through the growing snow, eager to reach their destination and to finally be out of the bitter cold. Reaching the edge of a wide chasm that led to the underground, Frisk didn't even hesitate to let them self fall once again. 

Frisk landed on the unnaturally plush fauna with a thud and a grin, suffering only a jarring from the impact. It was a good drop, but the yellow flowers had spared them most injury the first time as well. Down, deep in the dark cave with a wide open hole to the outside right above them, the air was much warmer as Frisk sat up. They brushed the dirt from their clothes and re-situated their backpack before running into the other room. 

"Asriel!" They called excitedly into the dark. After a quick moment they tried again. "Flowey!" Still nothing. Frisk didn't let it disappoint them. The underground was a big place. He was around there somewhere, having fun. They would run into each other eventually. 

The Ruins were quieter then Frisk remembered, but everything else looked, smelled, felt all the way it had before. It made their face light up and their pulse race. Unable to contain them self, Frisk began to run through the rooms. The puzzles had never been reactivated and soon Frisk found them self jumping in piles of brightly colored leafs and munching on monster candy. They looked for the fourth froggit in the froggit room (they had moved to the surface with the rest of the froggits), rested in the spot where they met Napstablook (no Napstablook), and visited the spider bake sale (there were no spiders left. Or any leftover donuts, although Frisk could always return to Muffets successful shop in town if they really needed one). They didn't stay long anywhere; they were on a mission!

Seeing the little house past the old tree spired them forward again. the legs starting to ache as they flew across the short field and burst through the front door. The cute house greeted them with silence and Frisk beamed, making it difficult to breathe as their body panted for air. 

Everything was just as they remembered, only a little dusty. Toriel had only returned long enough to grab the most sentimental of items, not wanting to stay in the underground longer then she needed, which meant that plenty had been left behind. In the living room Frisk found plenty of books still on the bookshelves and Toriel's old chair by the cold fireplace. Her new chair was even cozier, but Frisk was happy with this one. In the kitchen they found plenty of supplies and a half stocked fridge. Monster food didn't spoil, lucky for them. Frisk tucked the leftovers from Toriel inside and the other snacks they'd been rationing for travel. It was more then they'd thought! It would last them a good couple of days! Maybe even a week or two, if they were careful. 

Pleased with their progress, Frisk ran to their bedroom, opening up the transdimensional box on their phone. The foggy glasses and hair ribbon went on the bookshelf where the dusty photo used to be. The tutu and apron filled the empty space in the closet. The notebook went on the shelf and the ballet shoes into the shoe bin. 

Tired but overwhelmed with happiness, Frisk took off their hat and scarf placing them on the chair, followed by their jacket and gloves. They kicked off their shoes and took off their wet clothes, trading them for some of Asriel's old ones. He wouldn't mind, they thought, before climbing right into bed to warm up. 

Finally. They had missed their bed. It had been a long time since they'd had a bed of their own. Sure anytime they wanted they could visit Toriel and sleep in one of her beds or any of their friends, but it wasn't the same. They could never forget the look on Toriel's face when she told them this was their very own room. 

No more traveling. No more wondering where they were going to sleep. No more struggling to find food, or worrying about the winter, or finding clean water, or struggling to stay clean, or hiding from strangers, or being afraid, or lost, and _finally_ no more lying to mom.   
Curled up with their soft blanket Frisk rolled over and pulled out their phone. 

**Frisk:** [I'm home.]

**Mom:** [I am so very glad you made it safely. I love you.]


	2. Chapter 2

The house was a little cold, so Frisk spend the next morning scrounging the Ruins for wood to start a fire. The underground was rich with natural resources and they had no trouble gathering an armful of loose sticks and dry leafs to keep in a big pile in the living room. For lunch they enjoyed some more of Toriel's homemade soup (chicken noodle. It was even good cold!), before they grabbed their jacket and backpack again. 

The doors to the snowy section of the underground were wide open. Frisk figured that had some to do with the cold and after making sure they wouldn't lock behind them, closed them tight.

"Flowey!" They called into the forest. No response. That was alright. 

Like the Ruins, the forest brought forth a warm rush of nostalgia which had Frisk nearly skipping down the path. It had seemed so scary when they'd first arrived, carrying the fear and weight of Toriel's warnings on their shoulders. Now the bare trees reminded them of laughter, and dogs, and friends. 

The snow was chilly, but nothing like it was on the surface. They didn't even need their coat, although it was nice to have this time around. Frisk bounced over to the gate with it's far-to-wide bars, stopping right before the bridge to spin around and give the air a firm handshake. Giggling, they pulled out their phone.

**Frisk:** [I want to tell you a skeleton joke, but I don't have the guts.]

They made their way over to Sans sentry station and had enough time to raid nearly all the extra condiments before he replied. 

**Sans:** [lol. i would't worry about it kid. nothing gets under my skin. ;)]

Frisk giggled, keeping up the exchange until they were completely out of material. He asked when they were going to visit again. They realized they'd spent too long on the phone and decided to move on. 

There were all sorts of games and things to do on the way to Snowdin, but Frisk ignored them. They were on a mission. There would be plenty of time for games later. Maybe they could play together with Flowey once they found him. They would have to find a way to reactivate the puzzles too. 

Entering the quaint little village filled Frisk with Determination, although it was strange to see Snowin so quiet. Just as they'd hoped, the bunny lady who ran the shop had taken her valuables and left the replaceable stuff behind. Frisk expected that to be a trend as they filled their bag with cinnamon bunnies and bicicles. They didn't feel bad taking the sweets. After all, they had been left behind. Frisk stuck one of the sticky pastries in their mouth for the walk. Monster food was so yummy~!

It was a little disappointing to find the libarby practically empty. The monsters who ran it had taken nearly every book to the surface so they could share thm with the humans and make it easier to share their culture. They had even opened up a new libarby (still misspelled in homage to the last one). Still, Frisk had been hoping to collect some more reading materials. They would be down there for a long time after all. They gathered what remaining titles they could find and placed them in their phones dimensional box. 

They tried to hold them self back, to really explore what remained in Snowdin so they could get a good idea how long their supplies could last them (and to save the best for last). However, despite them self, they soon found them self starring up at a blissfully familiar house even without its usual bright, colorful lights. Frisk bounded up the front steps remembering dates, and spaghetti, and trombones. They grabbed the doorknob and slammed face-first into the wood. 

The impact startled them, but nearly as much as the door being locked did. They frowned, jiggling it multiple times until they were sure it wasn't going to open. 

Thinking back, the door had been locked originally. It was probably Sans. He liked to keep private. They tried all the windows they could reach, pushing up until their arms hurt from the strain. Defeated, they slumped down on the front steps and pulled out their phone. 

**Frisk:** [Knock knock]

**Papyrus:** [HUMAN! I AM DELIGHTED TO HEAR FROM YOU, EVEN UNDER THE TERRIBLE CONDITION OF A KNOCK KNOCK JOKE. HOWEVER I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, WILL GLADLY INDULGE YOU!]

**Papyrus:** [WHO IS THERE?]

Frisk gigged. They had been hoping he would just say 'come in'. 

**Frisk:** [No boney.]

**Papyrus:** [...........]

**Papyrus:** [...NO BONEY WHO?]

**Frisk:** [No boney home!]

There was a long pause. Frisk was sure Papyrus had enjoyed their joke. They giggled, wondering if he was having a long, long sigh or just screaming to the high heavens. Finally their phone dinged. 

**Papyrus:** [HUMAN I MUST REQUEST THAT YOU STOP SPENDING SO MUCH TIME WITH MY BROTHER. INSTEAD YOU COULD SPEND THAT EXTRA TIME YOU'VE ACQUIRED WITH ME! NYEHEHEH!]

Frisk quickly typed again. 

**Frisk:** [Knock knock]

**Papyrus:** [NO...!]

**Frisk:** [No boney.]

**Papyrus:** [FRISK!]

**Frisk:** [No boney's here today!]

**Papyrus:** [THAT IS PRACTICALLY THE SAME JOKE!]

**Frisk:** [Knock knock]

**Papyrus:** [STOP!]

**Frisk:** [No boney]

**Frisk:** [No boney's business!]

**Frisk:** [Knock knock]

**Frisk:** [No boney]

**Frisk:** [No boney knows the trouble I've seen!]

**Papyrus:** [AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!!!!]

Frisk shrieked with laughter, kicking the step below them with the back of their feet. The thudding reverberating through their body until all the giggles had worked their way out and they remembered they were supposed to be doing something. Still smiling brightly, they typed out another message. 

**Frisk:** If you weren't home and I came to visit, could I come in?]

**Papyrus:** [OF COURSE YOU COULD HUMAN! YOU KNOW THAT OUR HOME IS ALWAYS OPEN TO YOU! AS WELL AS OUR FRIDGE!]

**Papyrus:** [AND THE TRASH!]

**Frisk:** [What if the door was locked?]

**Papyrus:** [AND THE SHED!]

**Papyrus:** [DON'T BE SILLY. JUST USE THE WINDOW!]

**Frisk:** [That's also locked...]

**Papyrus:** [WHAT DOES THAT HAVE TO DO WITH ANYTHING????]

Frisk sprung to their feet. As usual, The Great Papyrus made an excellent point! A locked window never stopped him! Permission granted, they pulled out their trusty frying pan. 

The glass shattered with a crystal clear sound as Frisk smashed it in. They squealed in excitement, stomping their feet before doing it again anf again until most of the glass was gone. They ran the pan along the bottom of the window pane a few times before hoisting them self up. 

Some remaining glass bit into their hands and knees, but they managed to make it inside. In lieu of any bandages, Frisk munched on another piece of candy, wincing and hissing until the pain started to fade and the cuts healed up. 

The house was stripped bare. Sans and Papyrus hadn't had much stuff there in the first place, but they had brought most of their furniture to the surface with them. All that remained was broken glass and the occasional sprinkle. Frisk should have known that.  
Instead, they were disappointed. 

They tried not to let it bum them out as they searched around for something to bring home. A whine escaped them when they found even the culinary museum had been cleared out of the fridge. It wasn't like it was good spaghetti, just... Frisk had been looking forward to it...  
Even Papyrus's room was cleared out. Frustrated, Frisk stormed over to the closet and threw it open. There had to be _something_ -! 

They relaxed immediately when they found a box of old clothes probably left behind on purpose. Not what they were looking for, but it was close enough. Everything was too large, but maybe they could use some as sleep shirts? They shoved a couple in their bag. 

Sans door was locked too. Frisk pulled at their hair in frustration. Who locked an empty room!? There were no windows to jump through this time. A couple of solid hits with the frying pan made it clear they weren't getting through that way, but that didn't stop them from making one last attempt to ram it with their body.

(It didn't work.)

Sighing, Frisk scooped up their bag and unlocked the front door. Well, maybe they could figure a way in later. If they were subtle, maybe they could convince Sans to give them the key next time they went back to the surface? How would they do that without making him suspicious? They closed the door behind them as they stepped out on the porch. 

"What the hell are you doing here, you idiot?"

Frisk dropped their bag, happiness filling them so fast their eyes stung sharply. "Flowey!" 

They lunged off the porch, landing in the snow as the yellow flower disappeared into the snow, only to pop back up a few feet away from them. "No! You hug-psycho! _What_ are you doing here!? I told you to forget about me and go live your stupid life!" 

Frisk grinned at him, letting their bare fingers play in the snow as they tried to respect his wishes for no hugs. "I am! And I thought, since I'm already down here, maybe we could play together! Let's be friends, Flowey."  
His face twisted with hatred and Frisk flinched. 

"Go home, Frisk." 

Then he was gone. 

Frisk sat in the snow, starting to feel the chill as the snow soaked into their pants. It was fine. Flowey... They would run into Flowey again. They could try again. Or, if Flowey really didn't want to the be their friend, that was fine too. They had lots of friends, so they didn't mind. They were used to being alone. 

They stood up slowly, suddenly feeling very tired. Flowey was right. They should go home.

. . . . .

Firsk sat up with a cry looking around the dark room. They clutched the blankets close to their chest, their heart pounding loudly in their chest. It was too dark, too quiet-!

"Mom!" They yelled. The darkness pushed in on them harder, the silence trying to steal their breath away. 

"Mom!" They screamed. 

(But nobody came.)

It took a long time for them to remember where they were. It took longer still for them to be able to crawl out from under the safety of the covers and turn on the light. They were home. Toriel was on the surface. She couldn't hear them from all the way down there. 

Frisk tried to scrub away the bad dream as they scrubbed away the tears. They didn't remember what it was about. It didn't matter. They were pretty used to nightmares, but they preferred it when they had them at Toriel's house. When they did, she would always come in and get them. She would give them a big hug and tell them that everything was alright. She would make them hot chocolate and let them sleep in her bed. 

Frisk went out to the hallway only to run back in and snatch up Sans's jacket and one of the shirts from Papyrus's room. They turned on the hallway light, leaving the door cracked a lot as they slipped into Toriel's old room. It was a little dusty. they would have to clean everything soon, they thought as they climbed up into the big blue bed. 

Carefully, they laid out the jacket and the shirt on one side, and pulled the big pillow down so it was on their other side. Closing their eyes, they could pretend their friends were there. They smiled and giggled, the fear from their dream slipping away instantly. They could hear Toriel humming a tune while she brushed their hair softly. Papyrus was talking giddily about what they should work on tomorrow. Sans was already snoring. 

Frisk held them all close, trusting them to scare away the nightmares and keep them safe. Maybe it was too cold and all they could smell was dust, but they could feel their friends beside them and that's all that mattered. They were fine. 

They were home after all.


	3. Chapter 3

"So, what? Do you, like, _live_ in the Ruins now?" Flowey asked with a snarky tone one day when they went out to explore. 

It had been about a week since they'd last seen him. Frisk was growing accustom to their new living arrangements, although they were burning through food faster then they'd expected. It was hard to ration it when it was all so good, but they had almost finished the leftovers from Toriel's and they really wanted to make it last. They couldn't just go back to the surface to get more. They didn't want to bother Toriel so much. 

So back to scavenging! They had been doing well until they'd got caught up in the dumpster-diving lifestyle of Waterfall. Alphys was right about how much stuff there was to find! Frisk had already filled their room with some cool new toys and games. They'd even spent all day dragging back home that broken bicycle so they could fix it (although so far they hadn't even managed to take it apart. Toriel had some tools, but they didn't know how to use them yet. It was harder to figure out then they'd thought). 

It was really cool to have a safe place to keep stuff. They'd always had to be careful about keeping toys or anything. Toys took up room in their bag that they just didn't have to spare. After the monsters returned to the surface, Frisk started leaving what they thought Toriel wouldn't notice in the toy boxes at her house. It was also a lot easier to collect supplies with the added boxes on their phone. 

So, Frisk was off to Hotland in search of food when Flowey finally popped up with his little scowl. 

Frisk beamed, holding their hands tightly to keep from reaching for him. Instead they bounced slight, and nodded quickly. 

Flowey glared, before his leafs drooped slightly. "Wait... What? Really?" 

Frisk laughed and nodded again.

He looked them over once, then let out an exasperated groan, throwing his head back until it hit the snow behind him. "Friiiiiiisk!" He yelled as he rolled back into place. "You're supposed to be living on the surface with Mom and Dad! I thought I told you to look after them! You're not supposed to be down here!"

Frisk shrugged, starting forward through the snow. Flowey dropped into the ground and popped up farther ahead to continue the conversation. 

"You're down here," Frisk pointed out, thoughtfully. 

"I live down here," He snapped. 

"Me too!" Frisk cheered. Flowey groaned again. 

"Does anyone else even know you're down here? I know Mom wouldn't let you live here if she knew. Dad's a bit of a pushover, so _maybe_ you convinced him, but none of your other worthless friends tried to do anything about it? I don't buy it." He folded his leafs like little arms. "Or did you just come down without telling anyone?"

Frisk pressed a finger to their lips, winking at him. "It's a secret from everybody."

Flowey looked unimpressed, before his face twisted into a creepy smile. "So, what you're saying is that your soul is up for grabs~ That there's no one around this time to save you from little ol' Flowey~" He chuckled darkly, thorny vines emerging from the dirt in a threatening mass. 

Frisk considered this, before jutting their hand in his direction as if to pet him. Flowey shrieked, ducking out of the way. 

"Don't touch!"

Frisk didn't. Instead they smiled and just kept walking.

Flowey 'tsk'ed, the vines settled back into the dirt. "Okay, fine. But seriously Frisk, you can't just... live down here!"

"Why not?" 

"Because no one wants to live down here!"

Frisk stopped, looked at him with tight eyes. "I thought you wanted to live down here? Isn't-! I thought that's why you didn't come up with us?"

Flowey froze. "Uh, well, I mean, I don't-No." He quickly shook his head, petals flapping back and forth. "I mean: Yes! I'm fine! I _want_ to be here. But I want to be here _alone_. You being here counts as 'not being alone', Frisk!"

Frisk pouted, kicking up some snow. "The undergrounds a big place."

Flowey groaned again. "It's-! I don't know- Dangerous! Or whatever."

"It was way more dangerous the last time I was here," Frisk pointed out, with a laugh, kicking up some more. 

Flowey's face convulsed with rage. "I AM GOING TO STEAL YOUR SOUL!!!!" 

Frisk laughed bouncing on their toes. "Okay~"

"AAAARGH!!!"

Frisk jumped, stomping both feet into the ground three times as their soul bubbled with warm feelings again. It was going to lift them right up and Flowey would have to stop them from flying away. Flowey just continued to yell. 

"If you want my soul-" Frisk shouted, running ahead on the path, spinning around the face him with their arms outstretched. "-why don't you come get it!" 

Flowey leaned forward, eyes sparking at the challenge. Frisk jogged in place, ready for his move, before he stopped suddenly and shook himself. "Wait-No. I'm not-I'm not _playing_ with you, Frisk! Go home!" He shot back in the ground. 

"Wait!" Frisk shouted, running back to the spot he disappeared. They bounced, hoping he would feel the vibrations and come back out. When he didn't, they dropped to their knees, digging into the snow. "Flowey, come back! Okay, we don't have to play!" There was only dirt to be found below the white surface. "... please..."

Around them the forest seemed a little bigger then they remembered...

. . . . . 

Frisk was laughing along at the new video Alphys had sent them (Undyne was suplexing not one; not TWO; but THREE boulders. Stacked right on top of each other. In the background Mettaton had been shouting that she couldn't do it. Now he and Papyrus were just screaming as she hefted the rocks up with a mighty yell. Sometimes the screen would move when Alphys laughed and they'd catch a glimpse of Sans nearby, sleeping in the snow. It was a great video. Frisk saved it immediately.) when they finally reached Hotland.

They noticed the temperature change and looked up beaming. The sight of Alphys Lab just a little farther ahead filled them with Determination and they took off, breaking into a sprint as they passed Sans sentry station and started across the bridge. The wooden path rocked under them and they realized a second too late that it wasn't as stable as they'd remembered. 

They tried to stop, their feet getting confused by the movement, one getting caught. They pitched forward, smacking into the wood. The whole bridge bounced at the impact. Frisk scrambled to grab anything as the world shifted, bucking them off. The phone slipped from their grip.

The next thing they saw was the bright red below them.

**G A M EO V E R**  
[You cannot give up just yet... Stay determined!]  
[Continue?]

They were back on the ground. Back before Sans's Station. Back before the bridge.

Frisk screamed. Dropping to their knees, they grabbed their hair and screamed. Again and again. They could feel the fire around them, consuming them. They screamed. It was too hot! Everywhere, eating away at their body. They screamed and screamed and screamed and screamed and screamed. 

The sound echoed through the empty cavern. 

Dying was never easy, but it was quick and over easy when their soul was the target. A simple sharp twinge, then a soft voice telling them to hold on. When it was their body, dying could hurt a lot more. It took a lot to kill a human, this Frisk knew intimately. This was not the first time they had died outside of battle. 

But this was the first time they had died like this. 

They didn't know how long they screamed. The pain was gone but they could still feel it. Frantic tears soaked the ground in front of them and their labored breaths left them light-headed and dizzy when it finally started to settle down. Their scalp hurt when they were finally able to let go of their hair. Their ears were ringing sharply. No... It was their phone, on the ground ahead. 

It was ringing. They didn't remember dropping it. It buzzed on the ground one more time before stopping. The screen when bright with a little message in the middle: [12 missed calls] [2 voicemails]

They stared at it. 

The screen went dark as it started ringing again. In the center it just said: Sans. 

Hands shaking they dragged the phone across the ground before they could get a good grip and bring it up to their ear. They tried to say something when they answered, but the sound got stuck in their throat. 

"k i d . . ." came a dark tone across the line. ". . . i t h o u g h t w e h a d a d e a l . . ."

Fresh tears sprung up. Their lip trembled as they opened their mouth to say 'I'm sorry.' 

All that came out was a wail. 

Frisk tried to control it, but the tears came even harder. They tried to choke out the right words. They had broke their promise. They didn't mean to. It had just happened. It hurt so much. They had tried. They wouldn't do it again. Please don't be mad. Please don't hate me. I won't do it again. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry.

None of them came out. Only stuttered sobs and stifled coughs. The words were stuck; they were always stuck! They couldn't get them out! They wailed in frustration. 

The other line was silent, the sound heavy against their ear, before there was a soft, "...kiddo...? hey, i'm sorry. i shouldn't of..." He sighed. "tell me where you are. i'll come get you."

Frisk whimpered, shaking their head even though he couldn't see them. 

"...come on, kid. i just need a location."

Frisk winced, barely able to see the blurry red of Hotland through their tears. If he found them there, he would tell mom. She would know something was wrong. They shook their head again. 

"...kid? are you still there? come on... i'll come get you, where ever you are, but i need... frisk? are you in trouble? where are-"  
Frisk hung up. 

They sniffled, looking down at their phone. That had been pretty rude. They shouldn't have just hung up like that. They wiped at their face, the tears feeling cool against their hot skin. The phone rang again and they quickly shut the phone off.

They'd have to apologize later. Or maybe, if they waited long enough, Sans would simply forget about it. That would be fine. They just had to leave the phone off for a few days and everything could go back to normal. They sniffled again, staring down at the little screen. It was fine. They were used to being alone. It was fine. It was fine. 

"So..." 

Frisk jumped, scrambling to turn around at the sudden voice behind them. It was Flowey, looking annoyed as he examined the distant walls of the cavern, avoiding eye contact. Frisk scrubbed harder at their face. 

"...if we play Humans and Monsters, are you going to make me be the human? Because Chara used to do that, and frankly, it was obnoxious."

Frisk cleared their throat a few times, before finally choking out, "What?"

Flowey sigh, rolling his eyes. "Well, since you're living down here anyways and _clearly_ I can't leave you _alone_ , we're going to have to lay down some ground rules." His leafs came down like he was setting an invisible box in front of him. "Number one: We take _turns_ being the human. Number two: No more running around on unstable bridges-"

Frisk scooted forward, Hotland's terrain rough on their knees. Flowey pulled back, expression suspicious, but he didn't run away. 

"And number three: No touching. Not without my permission and only on special occasions. Got it?"

Frisk scooted closer, biting their lip as they fought against a smile. " _Ground_ rules?"

Flowey's face twisted demonically. "Rule four: NO FLOWER PUNS!" 

Frisk let out a sound that should have been a giggle if their voice had been working right. Flowey finally settled with a scoff, boredly eyeing the side of the room again. Frisk was right in front of him now, their fingers twisting around each other. 

"Can I touch you?"

Flowey grumbled. "I guess..."

They reached out, lightly touching one of his petals with their palm. They pet him a few times before the tears started again. Flowey didn't say anything about it, just letting out a single huff as he continued to stare at the wall. 

They stayed like that for a long time. 

. . . . .

[87 missed calls] [11 new voicemails] [118 messages] 

**Sans:** "k i d. a n s w e r t h e p h o n e."

 **Sans:** "f r i s k. i m s e r i o u s. y o u m a d e m e a p r o m i s e. a n s w e r t h e d a m n p h o n e."

 **Sans:** "kiddo, really, i'm sorry. i shouldn't have gotten mad, i just-. look, just call me back. okay? i just want to make sure you're alright, okay? i didn't- i..." 

**Sans:** [hey, dont listen to your voicemails. just call me. im sorry. im not mad at you at all. i promise. just call me.]

 **Sans:** [frisk, PLEASE call me.]

 **Sans:** [why is your phone still off? frisk, im really worried. please call me.] 

**Sans:** [im not mad! i promise! please call me!]

 **Mom:** "Frisk, My Child, Please call me. Sans said that he talked to you yesterday and you seemed upset and now you aren't answering your phone. Could you please call me, just to let me know you're alright? I don't want to interfere with your home life, but you know how I worry. Please call me. I love you very much."

 **Mom:** "I'm getting very concerned, Frisk. You don't normally turn off your phone and not for this long. Please call me. I love you."

 **Sans:** [frisk. please kid. call us. your moms worried.]

 **Dad:** "Frisk? Hello, it's Asgore. I suppose you already- anyways, your mother just called to ask if I've heard from you. She's upset. I know you are a very mature child, but if you would perhaps give us a call, I think it would put us all at ease. Alright, have a good day."

 **Papyrus:** [FRISK! I HAVE HEARD FROM MY BROTHER THAT YOU ARE NOT ANSWERING THE PHONE! I UNDERSTAND THAT HE HAS SAID SOMETHING TO UPSET YOU, HOWEVER DO NOT LET THAT GET TO YOU! MY BROTHER EXCELS AT BEING A GENERAL PAIN IN THE TAILBONE BUT HE MEANS WELL. LET ME KNOW WHICH OF HIS JOKES HAS GONE TOO FAR AND I WILL GLADLY SORT THIS WHOLE THING OUT!]

 **Papyrus:** [ALSO, LADY TORIEL IS QUITE UPSET. YOU SHOULD CALL HER.]

 **Mom:** [I'm very worried. Call me!]

 **Mom:** [I love you very, very. VERY much. Call me please!]

 **Mom:** [I'm going to call your parents.]

 **Undyne:** "Hey Punk! I hear you're MIA. Why don't you give us a call, huh? No ones mad about anything, so don't worry about that. Just call us."

 **Undyne:** "Come on, Frisk. Call. Us. Back. We don't have a lot of info on you and the STUPID POLICE are giving us a HARD STUPID TIME!"

 **Dad:** [The humans are having trouble finding your records in the computer. Please call us.]

 **Papyrus:** [YOU NORMALLY RESPOND TO ME BY NOW, AND WHILE I AM VERY MUCH SO NOT WORRIED FOR MY COOL FRIEND, WHO I KNOW CAN HANDLE ANYTHING, I'D VERY MUCH LIKE YOU TO KNOW THAT SANS IS RATHER QUITE UPSET AND VERY, VERY SORRY AND I AM ALSO SORRY IF I HAVE DONE ANYTHING TO ENCOURAGE THIS DISTANCE, IF I'VE UPSET YOU AT ALL THAT WAS CERTAINLY NOT MY INTENTION, PLEASE FORGIVE US AND JUST LET US KNOW IF YOU ARE OKAY.]

 **Mom:** " _Please_ call me back. I don't have any other way to reach you- Asgore wasn't able to- They said you don't exist- I don't- P-Please call me. I love you, I _love_ you."

 **Alphys:** [Where r u? i'm tyring to track ur phonr its not working call me!!!!!!]

 **Sans:** [i cant find you. ive checked every school in the area and NONE of them have heard of you. i dont know what to do. IM SORRY. call SOMEONE.]

 **Mom:** "Frisk? I know it's late-" "DID THEY ANSWER?" "-but I just- No, it's the machine- but please call us. I hope we are all being silly, but I'm real-! ... r-really worried. Please call. I don't care what time it is. Just call me back. I love you."

 **Mom:** "It's been three days now. I can't stop th-thinking something has ha-happened to you-! Please just call me. I can't- I can't do this again, I- I can't lose you-! I'm begging you to call me back! I can't contact your parents, Sans can't find your school, Asgore tried to- Everyone is worried about you! I don't know what to do or how to- please answer the phone. Please. I love you so very much. I don't know what to do. We all love you, I need you to know that. We love-" 

[Voicemail box full] [104 new messages remaining]


	4. Chapter 4

"That isn't where that goes, Frisk!" Flowey snapped, holding the screwdriver out of their reach. 

Frisk jumped up, trying to snatch it from his vines. He ignored them, looking over the blue prints they'd drawn in colored pencils, flipping the over with a frown. Frisk jumped higher, their fingers just grazing the tool. 

"...this is a terrible drawing." Around them, the bike was completely in pieces on the living room floor. "I can't tell what anything is!" 

With Flowey's help, they'd managed to figure out how dismantle the bike and even bent the frame back into probably the right shape. Give or take. It wasn't like Frisk had ever owned one and Flowey had never even seen one beyond the mangled thing from the dump. They'd broken something off while bending it into shape, and while they'd agree'd at the time it probably wasn't important, they were now missing a place to affix the back wheel at all. 

"Maybe we could fuse it back on?" Flowey muttered, remembering Alphys doing that with metal panels in the lab. "Frisk, how comfortable are you using a blowtort-ack!" 

Frisk threw their whole weight at his vine in an effort to knock it over. Flowey had kept it stiff, and just managed to loosen up before the force knocked him and the flowerpot right over. As such, Frisk and the vine landed in a pile of toys and they were able to wrestle the screwdriver out of his grip.

"Ah-ha!"

Flowey groaned, giving up the item as forfeit. "Can you be serious? We can't just put both wheels on the front!" 

"Don't worry. I've got this," Frisk insisted, with a victorious grin. 

(They didn't have it.)

It had been twelve days since Frisk's little swan dive in Hotland and Flowey reluctantly joining their party. Although Flowey had initially regretted it, Frisk agree'd to every condition he'd set in place: from no touching, to not putting him in a flower pot, to no arguing with him. 

As such, he had no idea how he ended up arguing with Frisk, inside a flower pot, while Frisk climbed all over his vines like a jungle gym. He should feel rather miffed. Instead he just stared down at their fourth failed attempt to cobble the bike back together and dropped the tools in the tool box. 

"At least I know there's stuff I haven't tried yet," He grumbled. Frisk was still trying to figure out why attaching both wheels to the front hadn't worked. "Alright, I'm bored! Let's do something else."

Frisk bounced up, bike instantly forgotten. 

"Like what?" They asked. "More exploring?"

"Ugh, we've already been everywhere," Flowey complained. 

Once Frisk had gotten over their fall, traversing Hotland and the Core had taken no time at all with Flowey's help. He knew all the ins and out. All the secret pathways and shortcuts. They'd already raided the Castle. 

"No," Frisk replied, dropping onto their stomach in front of him and placing their pouting face in their hands. " _You've_ been everywhere. I have lots of houses to explore. And you said you'd show me how to get down into the Capital." 

Flowey rolled his eyes. "I was just going to toss you off the balcony and left you figure it out on your own."

Frisk pouted harder.

Flowey considered their options for another minute as he stared at Frisk. They stared back, their round face smudged on the sides, dirt visible beneath their nails, his old clothes wrinkly and ragged. 

He tsk'ed. "When was the last time you took a bath?"

Frisk's expression became impassively neutral. "Yesterday."

"Liar!" Flowey screamed and Frisk jumped up with a shriek, scrambling to the next room but was snatched up and brought back by thick vines. They laughed, kicking and struggling. "You haven't had a bath in at least four days! Go take a bath!”

"Nooooooo!" Frisk yelled, wiggling as Flowey rolled his eyes, holding them up by their ankles. 

“Where is Woshua when you need them? You smell like the dump and I think theirs something LIVING in your hair!" He shook them, their shirt bunching up under their chin. "If you don't wash it, I'm going to shave it all off while you sleep!"

"No!" Frisk barked with a grin.

"Yes!"

"No!"

Flowey scowled, bringing them close so he could glare at their upside down face. They did not seem as intimidated as he'd hoped. 

They stuck out their tongue. 

Flowey scoffed, his eyes drifting up to their exposed stomach. His leafs were not suitable for tickling, but his vines maybe? He remembered Asgore and Toriel using similar tactics when he and Chara were being stubborn. Frisk gasped, grabbing their shirt and yanking it up. 

"No!" They grinned. 

Flowey crossed his leafs, plans foiled. "Alright, fine! If you take a bath, I _guess_ I can show you how to get into the city."

Frisk inhaled loudly, clapping in victory. They nodded happily, before screaming in laughter as Flowey attacked their newly-exposed stomach. 

. . . 

Water splashed everywhere as Frisk cannon-balled into the little lazy river. Water in the Ruins was chilly, but it didn't take much splashing around before they found it quite comfortable. 

"Watch it!" Flowey snapped from his spot on the river bank where Frisk left him. 

Frisk spun around, bringing a short-lived rainstorm. He ducked under his leafs, hissing.

" _Water_ you talking about?" They laughed, splashing him again. " _Flow-ar_ you afraid of the water?" Doesn't it get to the _root_ of your problems?"

Floweys gaze was withering. "You are determined to make yourself unbearable, aren't you?"

Frisk beamed. " _Determined_?"

Flowey screamed. Oh god, it was contagious! 

Frisk continued to play, splashing two-out-of-two rocks left over from the rock puzzle (two-out-of-two rocks also enjoyed the occasional bath). 

Flowey settled in his pot, just watching. Too much water was just as bad for plants as too little, so he couldn't play as much during bath time. Luckily, his vines were pretty water-resistant, so he was able to drag them out when they inevitably refused to leave, as well as help them scrub that rats-nest hair. He'd nearly died from exasperation the first time he'd watched them try to clean their hair with a soap-bar. Especially since he'd already stolen them a bottle of shampoo. 

Speaking of cleaning...

Flowey glanced at the last shirt Frisk had pulled out of his old closet. It sat, neatly folded, next to the messy pile of fabric Frisk had discarded. They were out of clothing. 

Frisk said that was no big deal; they'd just take some clothes from mom's closet. Flowey didn't have enough time in the _day_ to explain why _that_ wouldn't work. The last time they'd played dress up, Frisk had face-planted four times. And while they had recovered quickly, each time with an increasingly worst face- _plant_ -ing pun, there was only so much Flowey could endure. 

Besides, even if they cut all of mom's robes to a wearable size, eventually those would run out too. 

Flowey scooped up the dirty clothes. He'd never done laundry before, but he'd seem other monsters do it. It didn't look too hard, although he hadn't really been paying attention. He wrapped the bundle around a bar of soap and began splashing it up and down in the water. Immediately, he got the feeling there was more to it then that...

"Maybe we could find a washing machine in the Capital..." He considered with a mutter. Alphys had found on in the dump for her stupid ice-cream machine, so there had to be others around somewhere. 

He was too busy with his task to notice the way Frisk spun around to him with their arms spread wide, nor the way they froze, face turning deathly pale. 

He was unprepared when they screamed. 

"Geez!" He gasped, jumping so hard he nearly toppled over. Frisk splashed over, ripping the clothes away. "What's your damage!? I was just-!"

"Nononononononono-!" They babbled, ignoring him as they dug through their pockets. They yanked out their cell phone. 

"Frisk, calm down!"

They crushed their thumb against the power button. One, two, three, nothing, four, Nothing, five, Nothing! six, NOTHING-! 

They sobbed. 

"Stop! Frisk, it's fine, look-!"

They tried again, putting all their strength behind it. Inhaling desperate breaths. NOTHING. 

"Mom!" They tried again. Tears over flowed as they began to hyperventilate. "Dad!"

"Frisk!"

Nothing, Nothing, NOTHING!

"S-Sans-! P-P-P-!"

Flowey grabbed them, shaking them hard with his vines. "FRISK! STOP! It's _water-proof_! You know this!" They babbled, jamming the power button repeatedly. "Alphys is an idiot, but she's not stupid! It was fine when we went through the dump, remember? And when we were in the rain in Water-Frisk!" He shook them once more and they looked at him wildly. "You left it off too long. It just needs to charge."

He wasn't sure they understood him. Their thumb was still pressing in the button repeatedly, but they'd stopped whimpering. 

Watching them closely, Flowey carefully released them. Frisk looked at the phone, then back at him. Their face scrunched up as they sucked in stuttered breaths and two fat tears bubbled down their cheeks. 

"It's o-o-okay?"

Flowey let out a breath, relaxing his stem as he grabbed the towel. "Lets go make sure. Come on. You're clean enough."

Frisk stepped out of the water, clutching the phone tightly to their chest as Flowey wrapped them up. "T... _Towel_ you doing?" Their facial muscles worked into a smile, even as their voice remained hollow and wet. "Ha ha ha..."

"That's a good one," Flowey lied, focused on getting them dry. "You can tell Trashbag that one as soon as we get your phone charged."

"-tell Sans..." They muttered, voice wavering. Their smile was manic they pressed the phone to their forehead. "he'll like it...I can tell Sans... I'm fine. I'm fine. It's okay, I'm fine."

Flowey didn't say anything. 

. . . 

Frisk didn't sleep in their bedroom anymore. They had, when Flowey first started staying with them. But inevitably, they would have a nightmare and crawl into mom's bed. Eventually, it just didn't make sense for them to stay in their room. 

Flowey looked at them from where his pot was set up on the desk. Frisk was cuddled up between two large pillows, the one from Toriel's bed, and the other that they'd dragged with them all the way from the castle. Laid out around them was Sans's old jacket and Papyrus's old clothes. Above them was a few half-burnt spears they'd dug out of the wreckage in Waterfall, a pile of anime, and a set of bright pink diaries. 

Tucked into the corner was a crumpled up ball of webs, an MTT-brand burger uniform, an umbrella from a trashcan and an umbrella from an abandoned ice-cream cart. There was an fire-scented apron, a shower-curtain, and a crumpled graduation cap. There were various sized pieces of various sized armor, from various sized dogs that would occasionally clatter as Frisk kicked them in their sleep. 

There were burnt dog-treats and playing cards. Garbage covered in cat and alligator fur. A old mop, a bottle of nail-polish, bunches of soft cotton and rocket-parts. There were concert tickets written out on toilet paper, and an old, abandoned safari-hat. Stuffed wherever they could fit was loose scarves, or shirts, or socks, or shoes. 

It all shifted precariously as Frisk rolled over, unconsciously reaching out for anything, only settling once they pulled close one of the pillows and sighed contently. 

Flowey stared silently. 

Beside him, the phone flickered on to tell him it was fully charged. 

He turned it on. The home screen flickered to life with a mile-long list of notifications. Silently, he scrolled through them. He didn't really read them, he didn't need too. He got the gist: Call me, call me, call me, love you, love, you, love you... 

... _please come home._

He glanced at Frisk one last time, nestled in their nest of treasures, before his vines wrapped around the phone and he opened it up, typing out one quick message:

To **Mom**

**Frisk** : [Frisk's in the Ruins. Come get them.]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thought this would end at 4, but there’s one more chapter.


End file.
